German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said that the NSA is currently spying on about 320 politicians and business leaders in Germany

U.S. President Barack Obama stopped the National Security Agency's (NSA) spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel, but a German newspaper claims that the NSA is still keeping a close watch on top German government officials.

According to Reuters, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said that the NSA is currently spying on about 320 politicians and business leaders in Germany, including Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, a close confidant of Merkel.

Bild am Sonntag said its information came from a high-ranking NSA employee in Germany, who chose to remain anonymous.

"We have had the order not to miss out on any information now that we are no longer able to monitor the chancellor's communication directly," said the NSA employee, according to Bild am Sonntag.

Berlin has been looking to make a "no-spy" deal with Washington, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to visit the U.S. on Thursday for that purpose.

In October 2013, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the U.S. had tapped Chancellor Merkel phone for years, and spied on 34 other world leaders as well. This led one German politician to call for a complete halt on trade negotiations between the European Union and the U.S.

But Obama attempted to calm the situation in January when he ordered the NSA to stop spying on the leaders of U.S.-allied nations.

"Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be." -- Steve Ballmer